1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a communication apparatus capable of broadcasting image data, such as facsimile data, by electronic mail, via the Internet, to a storage medium that stores programs for controlling the communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid expansion of the Internet, various communication apparatus for operating with electronic mail (hereinafter referred to as “e-mail”) are currently being developed, besides personal computers.
In such communication apparatus, a facsimile apparatus is provided that is capable of carrying out communications, via the Internet. The facsimile apparatus may broadcast image data, such as facsimile data, by e-mail. Broadcasting is a communication method where one piece of data is sent out, to a plurality of recipients designated by a user, at substantially the same time.
Specifically, to broadcast the facsimile data obtained by reading an original document with the above-constructed facsimile apparatus, one piece of e-mail to which the facsimile data is affixed or attached, is sent out only one time to a predetermined Internet server having a mail server (at an access point). One piece of the e-mail has header information including recipients' e-mail addresses (broadcast e-mail addresses) designated by a user. The e-mail, sent out from the facsimile apparatus to the Internet server, is transmitted from the Internet server to each of the recipients having a respective e-mail address.
When the facsimile apparatus broadcasts the facsimile data, via a public telephone line only, the facsimile apparatus has to repeatedly conduct the data transmission for each of the recipients, by opening and closing the circuit with the public telephone line every time the facsimile data is transmitted. On the contrary, when the facsimile apparatus broadcasts the facsimile data by e-mail, the data is effectively transmitted to a plurality of recipients by sending one piece of e-mail only one time to an Internet server at a local access point to which the users have access under contract.
However, while effectively using the above-described function which is unique to e-mail, the above-described conventional facsimile apparatus for operation with e-mail cannot broadcast the facsimile data attached to the e-mail with the information as to whether a recipient of the e-mail has to respond to the facsimile data given to the recipient. The information, as to whether a recipient of the e-mail has to respond to the facsimile data, is the information that indicates whether: (1) the recipient is a main recipient (listed in the “TO” header line) to whom the e-mail is addressed and who should respond or react to the facsimile data attached to the e-mail; (2) the recipient is an additional recipient (listed in the “CC” (Carbon Copy) header line) who will just look over the facsimile data and will not need to respond or react to the facsimile data; or (3) the recipient is an additional recipient of the e-mail (listed in the “BCC” (Blind Carbon Copy) header line) who will not be shown to “TO” and “CC” recipients, nor other “BCC” recipients, and who will just look over the facsimile data. A recipient (listed in the “TO” header line) of an ordinary business facsimile letter, often has to respond or react to the facsimile letter, regardless of whether the recipient have to send a reply to the sender of the facsimile letter. On the contrary, the “CC” or “BCC” recipients of the facsimile letter are not often required to actively respond to the sender of the facsimile letter.
When the conventional facsimile apparatus sends out the facsimile data by e-mail, all the broadcast e-mail addresses are disclosed to a recipient by a header information included in the e-mail. However, the disclosure of all the broadcast e-mail addresses is not convenient when a sender would like to not disclose a broadcast e-mail address (for example, when the disclosure of the “TO” and “CC” recipients to the “BCC” recipients is acceptable, but the disclosure of the “BCC” recipients to the “TO” and “CC” recipients is not acceptable). To satisfy such a sender's request when the facsimile data is broadcast by e-mail, the e-mail has to be transmitted separately to the broadcast e-mail addresses, i.e., the e-mail addresses which are not shown to other recipients and the e-mail addresses which are shown to other recipients. Such broadcasting does not effectively use the above-described function that is unique to e-mail.